Page Tools

Premier Morris Iemma last night celebrated Labor's victory
in three byelections saying, "Mission accomplished", but he
admitted the Government still had to work on delivering basic
services.

The sweetest victory was in Marrickville where Education
Minister Carmel Tebbutt switched successfully from the upper house
to the lower house.

The 41-year-old minister is positioned to play a significant
role in NSW political history, with some tipping her to become the
state's first female premier.

Mr Iemma admitted that the Government had suffered swings of
between 4 and 12 per cent in the three byelections and gave this
promise: "It's heads down and keep on with the job of delivering
rail reliability and health services."

Labor's worst result was in Macquarie Fields where its
candidate, Steven Chaytor, was forced to go to preferences to win
the seat which former cabinet minister Craig Knowles held by a
thumping 23.5 per cent margin.

Former prime minister Gough Whitlam attended last night's
victory celebrations for Mr Chaytor, a Campbelltown councillor who
worked as his private secretary.

Liberal candidate Nola Fraser, the former whistleblower nurse,
collected 34.7 per cent of the vote after preferences and a 12 per
cent swing, one of the biggest swings against Labor since the 1988
election which brought premier Nick Greiner to power.

Liberal state director Graham Jaeschke said voters in Macquarie
Fields had sent an angry message to the State Government.

"The voters in outer Sydney are sick of not receiving basic
services and having to put up with declining services," he
said.

"They've also seen through the con that this is a new Government
because Labor has put in a new premier. It isn't. It's same old,
same old."

Mr Iemma said he was delighted with Ms Tebbutt's victory where
Labor's primary vote held up, although the two-party preferred
margin slipped from 10.7 per cent to single figures.

Defeated Marrickville Greens candidate Sam Byrne told cheering
supporters that the Greens had scored their best vote in the
history of the party in NSW. Mr Byrne, Marrickville's deputy mayor,
scored a primary vote of 38 per cent and collected 41.7 per cent
after preferences, the best result since the party took 29 per cent
in the inner-city seat of Port Jackson at the March 2003
election.

Claiming victory for Labor with Mr Iemma by her side, Ms Tebbutt
described the election campaign as difficult.

"It was a tough campaign, I'm not going to pretend anything
different," she said.

She claimed Mr Byrne ran a smear campaign against her.

"I am disappointed the Greens ran a negative campaign and
focused on personal issues," she said.

Mr Iemma praised Ms Tebbutt's courage in the face of what he
described as a "dirty" campaign.

"She has shown dignity and grace in what became a very vicious
personal campaign," he said.

In Maroubra, solicitor Michael Daley, a Randwick councillor,
claimed victory at 9pm, saying how proud he was to be following in
the footsteps of former premier Bob Carr.

Yesterday's voter backlash will send shivers through the Iemma
Government, which is just 18 months away from facing electors at
the next state election.